Scrooge E
by LisbethDreams
Summary: A friend suggested I write a story based on "A Christmas Carol", starring Elizabeth Webber. I included references to "True Blood" and "Hogfather" but this is not a crossover fic.


Elizabeth clapped along with the other parents at the end of her boy's school Christmas play. She enjoyed their few scenes but was miserable the entire time. It's been years since she last enjoyed a Christmas and watching "A Christmas Carol" is not how she wanted to spend her evening. Even her boys bring little joy to her life anymore. When she looks at them they fill her with regret and irritation.

Her ex-husband Lucky was clapping and cheering and the poor sod actually looked sincere. They waited for much of the audience to leave before attempting it themselves. As she picked up hats and coats, Lucky turned to her, "For Christ's sake Liz, it's Christmas couldn't you pretend to enjoy it, at least for the boy's sake."

"No Lucky, I'm tired of pretending. I hate the holly jolly of Christmas and the false cheer, the insincerity," she said thrusting the boys things at him. "You have visitation tonight you deal with this crap," she said and stormed out of the theater.

Lucky yelled after her, "Could you at least join us for dinner tomorrow, everyone's going to be there and the boys would really love to spend Christmas with their mom."

She left him without an answer and arrived home fuming over the condescension of it all. The boys didn't need her at Christmas, it was just another day, nothing special. She flipped on a light and flopped down in front of the television trying to find something to watch. Each turn of the channel brought up another Christmas movie, "The Santa Claus 7," "Miracle on 34th Street," Its a Wonderful Life," and "Hogfather", even that one had a happy ending.

"Ba hum bug," she muttered downloading season 1 and 2 of "True Blood", it had been awhile since she watched that show and it had enough blood and violence to fit her mood. She fell asleep to the sound of Eric Northman ripping some poor V distributor in quarters. The sound of rattling chains awoke her and expecting to see Lafayette chained in the basement at Fangtasia she was shocked to see a fire crackling on her television and before her was Edward, rattling chains and pouring tea.

"Tea dear?" he asked. "Emily reminded me how you prefer to have it."

Elizabeth sat up on the couch and ran her hands through her hair, trying to wake herself up. "Your dead," she said.

"I know dear but Emily has been very concerned for you and well I'm worried about the welfare of my great-grandchild. He needs his mother. Why did you never tell us that Jake was a Quartermaine dear? I would have loved and cared for him. You know that Monica and I would do anything for Alan's grandchild."

Elizabeth sputtered, an apology was tripping off her tongue but Edward waved his hand and said, "Well that is neither here nor there. I'm here to remind you about the joy of Christmas. I'm the spirit of Christmas past."

"Come with me dear and take your coat, I don't want you to catch a chill," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her out her front door. Elizabeth felt as if she were falling through a tunnel and the next thing she new she was watching a much younger version of herself, Lucky, Nikolas, and Emily laughing at Kelly's. They were decorating the restaurant for the season.

Lucky picked up a piece of mistletoe and held it over Emily's head giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "That's my girl," Nikolas laughed and swept Emily away from Lucky. Elizabeth watched as Lucky took the mistletoe to her younger self and gave her a long kiss.

"We were so happy," Elizabeth said to Edward. "We had our whole lives in front of us and nothing was going to stop us."

Before her Nikolas had swooped up the mistletoe and was heading towards the young Elizabeth with a gleam in his eye. "That's enough of this memory," Edward said as he turned her out Kelly's door and again she felt as if she were falling only to step through Kelly's and into Laura's house.

"Nikolas looks so sad," she said and stepped toward her old friend.

"He can't see or hear you," Edward answered, stopping her. "Just watch."

"What," Elizabeth started only to pause as she watched a slightly older version of her younger self walk out of the kitchen. This Elizabeth barely looked at Nikolas. She assiduously avoided his gaze by keeping busy with the boys and decorating the tree.

Elizabeth watched Nikolas as he watched her and the boys. He looked sadder with each passing minute. He made a few attempts to help Spencer but for most of the evening he stayed apart, alone and drinking Brandy.

"Why is Nikolas so miserable?" she asked Edward.

"Don't you know what Christmas this is dear?" Edward answered.

Elizabeth stared at the tableau in front of her. Her younger self was now on the couch, holding Jake. Both Cameron and Spencer were also on the couch, all the boys were wearing Santa caps. The young Elizabeth looked content but perhaps not as happy as she was pretending. Nikolas stood apart again. Lucky turned on the tree and they all gazed up at Laura's angel.

"This was our last Christmas together, ten years ago. Nikolas left before the year was up and never returned," Elizabeth turned from the scene and begged Edward to take her out of there. "He said he loved me, but he left me, take me away from here."

"It's alright, remember that we love you dear and that all of us just want you to be happy. Before this night is through you will be visited by two more spirits." With that Edward left her, she was outside Laura's house again. An older house, the way it looked in the present and it was daytime.

"Hello sweat heart," she heard to her left.

"Gram," she cries hugging her grandmother. "What's going on?"

"I'm here to show you Christmas present, Elizabeth. To show you what you're missing. Come here to the window and watch your family."

Elizabeth moved to the bay window with Audrey, as she did so a car arrived and out jumped Cameron and another young man, one Elizabeth didn't recognize but that looked so familiar. Both young men were laughing and throwing snowballs at each other.

As Elizabeth watched another distinguished looking man exited the car. "Nikolas," she breathed. "He looks so old and sad."

Nikolas walked with a limp towards the front door. Lucky ran out to great him. "Welcome home brother."

"What happened to him?" Elizabeth asked Audrey.

"When he left all those years ago he was in an accident. It took him years to learn to walk again and still today he can't ride a horse."

"Is Elizabeth coming?" Elizabeth heard Nikolas ask Lucky. "You didn't tell her about me did you?"

"No I didn't tell her you were here and I don't think she's coming, she hates Christmas."

"I'm sorry that your marriage didn't work out," Nikolas said to Lucky. "I wanted the best for all of you, the happiness and the love that I've never had."

"I know brother," Lucky responded, the rest of his comment was cut off by the closed front door.

"If he wanted my happiness," Elizabeth yelled at her grandmother, "he never would have left me. Lucky and I weren't happy in our sham marriage. I was miserable."

"I know sweet heart," Audrey answered pushing some of Elizabeth's hair behind her ear. "Don't you think it's time you let all the anger go and forgive him? He did what he thought was best."

"I can never forgive him. He left with no explanation. He never loved me."

"My time is up Elizabeth and we have to leave now, but remember that not everything is what it seems."

With that Audrey left her and Elizabeth found herself at the Port Charles cemetery. She was alone except for a cloaked figure, "Hogfather" Death. Without a word he waved her towards a headstone.

Elizabeth Imogene Webber – Spencer was all it said, that and the year of her birth and death. No "beloved mother" or "friend", nothing but a plain bare headstone.

"This is it? Did I die alone?" she asked. "Answer me," she begged, but "Hogfather" Death remained silent.

He pointed to the road where a limo was parked. Out of the limo came a gray haired and limping man, stooped by the years he was propped on a cane. Elizabeth recognized this ancient man as Nikolas. He came to her headstone and stopped. Weeping he placed a beautiful bouquet on the stone.

"You'll never know how much I loved you, still love you," Nik said. "I knew that I could never really have you, that your family needed you and that you wanted to be with them. I didn't stand a chance against your dream of a perfect family, so I had to leave you to it. It would have been torture to watch your happiness with Lucky, as it was that last Christmas we had together."

"When your marriage failed I sent letters and you never answered them. I'm sorry I left Elizabeth, but I never stopped loving you"

"He loves me," Elizabeth cried, running to enfold him in her arms. "Tell me I can change this," she begged "Hogfather" Death. "Tell me."

Waking in terror Elizabeth found herself still on the couch and "True Blood's" season finale on the television set. Hitting "info" on the remote she checked the date and time.

"It's still Christmas, I haven't missed it." Turning the channel she settled on Sirius XM's Christmas station and ran upstairs to quickly change.

Elizabeth was extra careful with her hair and make-up but she hurried to her car wanting to get to Laura's quickly. Elizabeth sped all the way and arrived in time to see Nikolas and Lucky about to enter the house.

They paused when they heard her car swerving and sliding in the snow. Elizabeth stopped and stepped out of the car. She leaned on the open door just staring, unable to believe her eyes. "It's all true," she whispered.

Nikolas stepped off the porch and limped towards her, Lucky quietly went inside.

"Elizabeth," he said.

"Nikolas," she said.

"Merry Christmas"


End file.
